DP Contacts
FROM TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
October 31, 2000
Dear Death Row Inmate:
As you are probably aware, the majority of Texans favor capital punishment. Because there is a high incidence of crime in Texas, politicians who are "tough on crime" tend to do well here. The sentiments of citizens in large cities such as Houston and Dallas that experience the highest incidence of crime, a very large part of which is drug connected, are the most pronounced in their enthusiasm for the death penalty. There is a strong possibility of George W. Bush being elected president. There is a much stronger likelihood that Mr. Bush will carry Texas.
In such a climate, it is very difficult to mount a strong movement opposing capital punishment and barbarous conditions imposed on death row inmates. Some states, such as California, have a fairly large number of citizens who one would class as "liberals" in their political philosophy. This type of population makeup is helpful when trying to gather large numbers of individuals for a cause such as this.
Houston is fortunate to have a core of very dedicated individuals who believe strongly that capital punishment should be discontinued and that inmates on death row should be treated with dignity. Some members of the various groups became involved with this issue because a relative or friend is on death row. Others oppose capital punishment for a variety of reasons varying from a moral standpoint to a viewpoint that the system is an unfair one. Various groups approach this issue in a number of ways. Protests, vigils, efforts to communicate with lawmakers and prisons officials, family support are some of the ways. One of the hardest things confronting all of these groups is growth. Although members of these groups address student, church and civic groups in an ongoing effort to recruit support, growth comes hard in Houston.
I am enclosing information with his letter listing various groups in Houston and other parts of Texas that would welcome your families and friends as members. Many families feel isolated and don't know who to contact, and don't know that help and support is available for the asking. Perhaps your family would like to meet with others who care about this issue and become involved in doing something that might help their loved one as well as ultimately bringing the death penalty to an end in our state. Please urge them to contact one or more of these groups and become involved.
Secondly, please urge your friends and relatives in Texas who are registered to vote to do so in the presidential election in November. The next president will be the one appointing three new Supreme Court judges. Would you rather have those judges be appointed by George Bush or by Al Gore?
Sincerely
TEXAS ANTI DEATH PENALTY GROUPS
AUSTIN, TX
CAMPAIGN TO END THE DEATH PENALTY
1618-A W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78703
Tel. 512-507-7700 e-mail: austincampagin@hotmail.com
TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Contact Marjorie Loehlin 512-327-2159
e-mail: mloehlin@jump.net http://tcadp.org
HOUSTON, TX
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GROUP 23
PO Box 130901, Houston, TX 77219-0901
Contact Bill Ohsie 281 587 5386 ohsie@hal-pc.org
Meets the first Wednesday of the month at the Olive Branch
Meeting Room, 2360 Rice Boulevard, Houston, at 7:30pm
http://www.hal-pc.org/~ohsie
HOUSTONIANS UNITED FOR MUMIA
Meets every Sunday at the SHAPE Community Center
3901 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77006 at 7:00pm
Contact: 713 521 0629
e-mail: houstonfreemumia@hotmail.com
THE LAMP OF HOPE PROJECT
P.O. Box 305, League City, TX 77574-0305
http://www.lampofhope.org/index.html
MADRES Y FAMILIAS UNIDAS
Por la Vida, la Dignitad y Libertad de sus Hijos
6926 Navigation, Houston TX 77011
Tel. 713 926 2789 Fax: 713 926 2877
MURDER VICTIMS FAMILIES FOR RECONCILIATION
P.O. Box 1286, Tomball, TX 77377-1286
Meets the first Sunday of the month at the Zion Lutheran Church,
3606 Beauchamp, Houston at 2:30pm Contact: 281-456 7670
TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
3400 Montrose, Suite 312 (ACLU office), Houston, TX 77006
Tel. 713 520 0300 Fax: 713 942 8146
Contact David Atwood 713 529 3826 dpatwood@igc.org for details
Meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm
TEXAS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION MOVEMENT
SHAPE Center, 3901 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77004
Tel. 713 523 8454 or 713 521 0629, Fax 713 521 1185
e-mail: abolitionmovement@juno.com
Office hours 3:00-9:00pm each Tuesday
Meets on Tuesday, 7:00-9:00pm. Meets on days of executions to carpool to
Huntsville for demonstration/vigit at 3:00pm
http://www.geocities.com/tdpam/
GARY GRAHAM/SHAKA SANKOFA JUSTICE COALITION
Tel. 713 521 0629
St. Saviour Baptist Church, North Forest Area (a new group)
Contact Minister Earnest Charles
Tel. 713 633 5937 e-mail: earnestcharles321@msn.com
DALLAS, TX
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Meets the 2nd Thursday of every month, at Southern Methodist University,
Dallas Hall, Room 120, 7:30-9:30pm
Tel. 214 768 3284 http://www.smu.edu/~deathpen/
TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Meets 3rd Thursday 7:00pm at 6115 La Vista Dr. 2nd Floor
Contact Annette Spanhel 214 381 7851 aspanhel@airmail.net
or Rick Halperin 214 768 3284 rhalperi@post.cis.smu.edu
BURLESON, TX
HOPE OF CURE / Death Penalty Chapter of National CURE
P.O. Box 1176, Burleson, TX 76097
Tel. 817 295 5715 Fax: 817 295 8817 kir_cure_hope@juno.com
College Station, TX
Just Peace Institute Death Penalty Working Group
2200 Southwood Drive College Station TX 77845-5142
Te. 979 693 7021 e-mail: c1948hawkins@earthlink.net
EL Paso, TX
El Pasoans Against the Death Penalty % Fr. Carmen Mele
Peace and Justice Ministry Carol Tures, Coordinator
499 St. Matthew's Street El Paso, TX 79907
Tel. 915 872 8422 e-mail: johntures@aol.com
San Antonio, TX
TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Tel. 210 826 6656 e-mail: tomkeene@dcci.com
Valley:
TEXAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Tel. 956 943 5780 e-mail: info@sarati.com
E-MAIL LISTS
TX-DEATHPENALTY-INFO
(News from Death Row, Urgent Actions, Pending Execution List, Newspaper Articles), about the Death Penalty in Texas.
You can join this community by going to the following web page:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/TX-DeathPenalty-Info
or you can join by sending email to the following address:
TX-DeathPenalty-Info-subscribe@onelist.com
LAMP OF HOPE
This list provides support for death row family members and friends. You can join this community by going to the following web page:
http://www.egroups.com/subscribe/lampofhope
or you can join by sending email to the following address:
lampofhope-subscribe@egroups.com
abolish - The Mailing List For People Working to Abolish the Death Penalty To subscribe (national), send mail to
LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
In message section put: Subscribe Abolish your first name your last name.
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